Hell's Wings
by LightningMistress2113
Summary: Musicians by day, assassins by night. When two rival bands clash, sparks ignite and tensions fly. Au, modern day
1. Prologue

Okay, first things first. I don't know if I would be fine without it but I'd rather be safe than sorry. My inspiration came from a story by Little Falcon called License to Kill. It was only a basic idea. Everything else I came up with on my own.

I am nervous about writing this because it's the start of my first multi-chapter fic. Hope you guys all enjoy it and please, please read and review. That's all I will ask, promise. Well other than to be patient with me.

I have popcorn!

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or the characters in any way. Besides, if I did, Gaara would show up with a wolfish grin and not a lot of clothes on in the series more often.

**Hell's Wings** – Musicians by day, assassins by night. When two rival bands clash, sparks ignite and tensions fly. Au, modern day.

**Prologue**

\/\/\/\/\/\/

Emerald green eyes scanned the inside of the club. The loud pounding music grated on her nerves – how the _hell_ was she going to listen for danger if her ears started bleeding from all the damn noise? She calmly took another slip of her cold drink, face expressionless. She knew she looked calm, cool, and collected. How far from the truth that was.

Sakura placed her misting glass on the bar counter beside her and promptly ignored all staring aimed in her direction. The tight white dress her blonde friend had chosen left little to the imagination. Violent thoughts of murdering Ino in her sleep invaded her mind, keeping her entertained for a moment. A second later, the pinkette shook her head, dispelling all thoughts except ones for her mission.

The stupid mission which she had been volunteered for. She would have to get back at her team later.

Uncrossing her pale legs, she shifted in the uncomfortable seat, angling herself to get a better view of the entire room. Habit had her hand resting on her left thigh, just under where the slit up the side ended. Her fingers rubbed the material absentmindedly, knowing that a small gun was strapped to her thigh calming her slightly. She put her other arm on the surface of the bar behind her.

The pinkette had been there, in that same seat, for a good portion of the evening. She mentally checked through her objectives. Scout out a nearby club for rumors of another group of assassins and maybe get laid. Chuckling at that notion, Sakura tried to relax. It wasn't easy because of her training for the past eleven years. The academy forced you to always be alert no matter what, pounding that rule into the students' brains all the time. She suppressed a shudder as unwanted memories of that time flashed before her eyes.

The sudden quieting inside the room sent off sirens in her head. Back straightening, she searched for any possible threats, the hand on her left leg slowly inching closer to the gun strap under her dress. Finding nothing out of the ordinary (except for some "come hither" motions made in her direction), Sakura fixated her gaze on the stage where a single spotlight had flared to life. A lone guy with a microphone in his hand walked onstage, black hair spiking out in all directions and wearing what she hoped was a pair of jeans. It looked more like a scrap of cloth from all the rips and holes adoring it. His chest was bare – she knew for certain that was against the club's rules – and a dozen golden chains jingled around his neck. Sweat glistened in the bright light.

He stopped in the middle of the stage and raised one hand, palm facing the ceiling. "You guys ready?" A loud cheer rose from the crowd gathering around the stage. Sakura raised a delicate pink eyebrow. _Ready for what exactly?_ Her mind questioned. The guy onstage put his free hand at his ear. "I can't hear you!" The deafening roar of the crowd made the pinkette wince.

She was sure she would become deaf by the end of the night.

The guy holding the microphone gave a whoop then flung his hand to the side. "Then please welcome the Hell's Devils!" Sakura had to cover her ears from all the noise the huge crowd in front of the stage made. Whoever this band was, it seemed like it was a very popular one. _Just great,_ she fumed. _Thanks Tsuande!_

The spotlight dimed and the guy walked off. All other overhead lights in the club switched off, making Sakura more agitated than ever. She hated it when she couldn't see any detail around her clearly. Anything could attack her and she wouldn't even know it until the danger was point-blank.

Sakura stood up, the bottom of her heels clicking softly on the tile floor. She pressed her back against the bar counter, stomach knotting. _Why isn't anything happening?_ She worried silently. Her fingers found the gun strap around her left thigh and were just about to whip it out when the spotlight flared bright once again. A black curtain slowly pulled up, revealing a drum set, one stand with a microphone, and two amplifiers for guitars. Dread churned inside her gut. It just _had_ to be a rock band.

"I will fucking _murder_ Tsuande when I get back." She mumbled under her breath. Her eyes suddenly riveted on the men walking onto the stage from the right side. More cheers hurt her sensitive ears.

The first had long black hair tied in a low ponytail with a drumstick twirling in each hand. He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with what she thought was a very weird symbol and skin tight black jeans. She could hear the soft click-clack of his black boots on the stage as it grew deathly silent. Shock jolted through her system as he stepped into the light and saw the color of his eyes. They were pale with hardly any pupils.

Her gaze left the first when she heard a loud clatter behind him. A man with wild blonde hair and blue eyes had dropped his blue and white stripped guitar. He quickly snatched it up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Some snickers came from the crowd surrounding the lighted stage. The blonde headed straight for the opposite side of the stage, his boot clad feet almost tripping on all the cords littering the floor. She heard more laughter as she examined the guitar player. A dark blue shirt with the same symbol as the long haired guy was paired with a pair of black jeans. The only jewelry the blonde wore was a necklace with – Sakura squinted – a clear stone hanging from the string.

Her attention was pulled to the third band member walking onstage. This man had his short black hair pulled up on the back of his head, making it look like a pineapple. His dark eyes looked bored, almost as if he rather be anywhere else at the moment. The black shirt (again with that strange symbol) and pants looked a little big on his lean frame. A plain red guitar hung over his shoulder. Once on stage, he stopped by the open amplifier.

Sakura looked back at the place the three men had entered, waiting for the final one. She knew whoever it was had to be the vocals; drums already taken by the long haired dude and the blonde and pineapple head were on the guitars. She just didn't know which was the bass and which was the actual guitar.

The air grew thick with anticipation. The guys onstage turned as one to the opposite side they had come on. The fourth and final band member stepped into the light, his crimson hair almost glistening under it. The first thing that the pinkette noticed was a tattoo on the left side of his forehead. She thought it looked like the kanji for love. Her green eyes slowly traced the features of his handsome face. Deep black eyeliner surrounded his eyes, making the jade color stand out more. A thin black choker adored his neck. He was wearing a long sleeved maroon shirt with midnight jeans. The ends were tucked into shiny black boots that had two buckles crisscrossing around the ankle. A single silver chain started from his right hip, went down and around one leg then hooked back onto itself. She noticed that his shirt also had the weird symbol on the front.

She suddenly realized that all four of these men were very good looking, even dressed mostly in black. She heard girls calling to them, some squealing when one of them smiled. Actually though it was the blonde guitarist who smiled while the pineapple head signed and the long haired drummer grimaced. Her inner stated that the redhead was the most gorgeous and definitely outstripped the other band members. She just would never admit it out loud to anyone.

When the crimson haired guy reached the microphone stand, he pulled the device out and put it to his mouth. "Hello everyone." The deep voice rumbled through Sakura's body, her mouth falling open at the effect his voice caused within. Her body began thrumming with energy – an energy she recognized but didn't want to feel for anyone.

"We are Hell's Devils as you all apparently know. No introduction is necessary I believe then." He continued on. More girls screamed as he started singing. If the pinkette thought his speaking voice was amazing, the honey voice now spilling from the redhead was even better. Much to her displeasure, it also affected her body more.

Her legs began to tremble slightly as the night progressed. She lost track of the song number they were on. Even with the boom of the drums and bass guitar, the silky voice rang out clear. Her breathing sped up, emerald eyes glued to the lead singer. Anger boiled hotly in her veins.

How _dare_ he affect her like this! Her fingers clenched the bar counter's edge as her mind raged at the redhead. Never before had a simple voice made her body react so much in any way. Her stomach flip-flopped every time the crimson haired male looked in her direction. She didn't know if he could even see her with the bright light blaring in his beautiful jade eyes. Shaking her head violently, Sakura finally tore her gaze off the handsome singer. She panted from the effort of forcing her body to stand still instead of trying to get closer to the owner of the arousing voice. All of the sudden she felt extremely hot. Wiping her forehead with one clammy hand, Sakura recognized the _deep_ trouble she was currently in. Anybody could attack her right at the moment and she wouldn't even be able to properly defend herself.

And it was the fault of that damn annoying voice!

She gritted her teeth in rage. She was stronger than this, trained better than this.

Her mind mulled over the events of the last few minutes to distract herself. The strange symbol on all of the band members' shirts stuck out the most. Maybe she should copy it down so Hinata could research it later. Struck with that random idea, she whirled around and hissed to the bartender over the loud music coming from on the stage.

"Do you have any paper?" The bartender shook his head sadly then produced a pen from one of his many pockets and handed it to her.

"You can use a napkin if you need to."

Sakura nodded in thanks. Grapping a napkin laying near her forgotten drink, the pinkette began sketching the symbol perfectly from memory. She tried her best to ignore the singing voice behind her, hoping the performance would end soon. Though she had to admit that the band wasn't half bad.

Sakura stopped for a moment and cocked her head to the side, listening intently to the music. The beat reverberated throughout her body, almost matching the fast thumping of her heart. Resisting the urge to close her eyes, the pinkette mentally slapped herself and resumed drawing. Once finished, she stuffed it into the gun strap around her left thigh, yelled out another thank you to the bartender, and hurried to the open front door of the club.

For some unknown reason, the pink haired girl stopped at the doorway and looked back at Hell's Devils. A pair of jade orbs surrounded by black met hers. They seemed to smolder and she wondered if he had been watching her the whole time. _Ridiculous!_ Her inner snorted. Disappointment settled heavy in her chest. With one last awed look over her shoulder, Sakura walked out the door and disappeared into the night.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Gaara fumed silently as the pinkette he had been eyeing for a while waltzed right out of the club. Cursing his luck, he just continued to sing. He had hoped to at least learn her name after the performance of his band. The girl had caught his interest as he was walking on the stage. Her emerald eyes had roamed all over his body. He knew he was handsome. He wasn't conceited or anything – it was just a simple fact of life.

The song thankfully ended – their third for the night – and he turned to Naruto. "That's it for tonight." Naruto shrugged, knowing Gaara always did things his own way. The blonde signaled Neji and Shikamaru the decision. The drummer frowned while Shikamaru just rolled his eyes, muttering a "Troublesome." under his breath. The redhead replaced the microphone and walked off stage. The noise in the club dropped tremendously as the lead singer of the popular band disappeared.

Naruto sighed; Gaara would leave it up to them (more specifically him) to cover. _Thanks once again, _he thought sarcastically. Planting a bright smile on his face, the blonde guitarist walked over to the microphone. Neji stood up and followed the redhead without so much as a grunt. Shikamaru picked up Naruto's guitar and Neji's drumsticks he had left before lumbering off stage as well. Naruto wondered why he stayed in the band sometimes.

"Well that's all for tonight." He had to pause because of all the boos and protests (mostly from the female population). "I know, I know. But hey, this means we will have more songs for next time!" He cheerfully exclaimed. A grin broke out at the loud response the crowd gave. Replacing the device back in the stand, the blue eyed male followed his friends.

The sight that greeted him in their gathering room made him chuckle. Neji was once again arguing with Gaara over something stupid – you have to wonder if they're really friends – while Shikamaru slouched in one of the overstuffed armchairs, fast sleep and quietly snoring away. Naruto closed the door behind him and jumped on the big brown bean bag nearby the door. He watched the fight with amused sky blue eyes.

Gaara huffed in annoyance. Neji was being Neji and ripping him up one side and down the other for cutting the performance short. They had four songs beyond the three they had already played ready. The crimson haired man knew his friend didn't mean a single thing he was yelling about. This was just his way of showing concern. A jolt of anger shot through his chest. It was all because of that _fucking_ academy that both he and Neji had a hard time showing any emotion.

Finally having enough, Gaara raised a hand. Neji swallowed what he had been about to say, a black eyebrow raised. "I get it already Neji. I'm fine." Casting a quick glance at the other two occupants of the room, he added under his breath. "Really."

The long haired drummer let out a sign – one of relief Gaara knew. "Fine." He crossed his arms, pale eyes still eyeing the redhead. Gaara leaned back and averted his jade eyes. He really couldn't hide anything from Neji. They had been friends for too long and had suffered through so much together.

"I was troubled by a girl is all." The quiet sentence came from the redhead. Neji stiffen in shock. Girls and Gaara were never in the same sentence, let alone him admitting to anything concerning them. Telling Neji meant it was of some significance.

"Who?" The pale eyed man asked.

Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's just it. I don't know."

"Ok-ay." The slight hesitant made the singer scan the room. Shikamaru was still sleeping and it looked like Naruto had joined the land of dreams as well.

He lowered his voice just in case. "She had pink hair and emerald green eyes." Those eyes still haunted him. He hated that fact with a passion.

Just who did she think she was to occupy his thoughts so much! He blamed it on the strange color of her hair.

"Gaara." Said man looked at his long time friend to see him frowning. "I think I know who that was." Confusion, fear, and awe laced his low tone. The fact that Neji was even letting emotion through in his voice made his stomach knot. That girl must be someone powerful to make him speak like that.

The redhead waited patiently. Then the pale eyed drummer whispered, "She was the lead singer from the Angel Wings."

_Angel Wings._

Their eternal rival in the world of music. He had heard that they were nearly as good as them. The boys went gaga over the drop-dead beautiful woman of the band, much the same way girls went gaga over the gorgeous members of his band.

Gaara growled. Oh no he didn't.

Oh yes he did.

He had lusted after his rival singer. Rage burned in his body, mind assaulted with pictures of a thousand different ways to kill the offending pinkette. _Never _would he let her capture his interest so readily again. The promise he had just made to himself helped the sudden red haze in his vision to disappear – but not the anger. Neji watched with a wary eye as his friend internally seethed.

Suddenly the redhead's eyes snapped to the drummer's. "But why was she there tonight?" The question startled Neji. "Did she know that we were performing here?"

"I don't know why she would be here but it's highly unlikely to praise us." Neji shook his head slowly. "We should tell Kakashi anyway though."

"I agree. It's never a good sign when a member from your rival band is there on performance night."

It's never a good sign when a member from your rival band makes you feel all hot and bothered either. Gaara groaned as the image of the pinkette in that tight white dress popped up unbidden. _Great, just great._

\/\/\/\/\/\/

I don't know when I will update this but I will say one thing – reviews are a good motivator.

Lightning Mistress


	2. Chapter 1

Hey! I finally did it! Sheesh, that took forever to get right. Sorry about the wait but please enjoy the next chapter!

Oh and some of the characters may seem OOC at times in this chapter but there's a reason behind it. No I won't tell right now. Everything will be revealed in due time. –Grin–

I just wanna thank all who have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. It makes writing this worth it. Thank you!

Once again, my inspiration came from a story by Little Falcon called License to Kill. I came up with everything else on my own.

Popcorn?

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or the characters in any way. Besides, if I did, I would lock Gaara up and have my way with him.

**Hell's Wings** – Musicians by day, assassins by night. When two rival bands clash, sparks ignite and tensions fly. Au, modern day.

**Chapter One**

\/\/\/\/\/

_"Tsuande!"_

The resounding slam of a door echoed through the quiet house. In her study upstairs, a blonde woman raised her head and listened intently for a few seconds. Louder noises permeated the air, sounds of other doors banging followed by angry stomping.

_"Tsuande!"_

At the second call of her name, Tsuande stood up. She walked around her large cherry wood desk, heading toward the opposite cream colored wall. Her slipper covered feet treaded lightly over the dark brown carpet, trying to be quiet to prevent the eventual confrontation. When she reached the low wooden table pushed in a corner between two walls, the blonde picked up some scattered papers laying on its surface.

Hoping Sakura wouldn't wake up the other girls, she padded back over to her desk. Knowing the door to her study was unlocked made her heartbeat quicken. She didn't try to pretend that Sakura wasn't mad; she knew the pinkette was probably beyond pissed at her by now. The scouting mission she had been volunteered for would see to that. _Especially_ if it somehow involved rock bands and going alone. That woman just had something against any band except for her own. Smirking, the blonde leaned her back against the edge of the sturdy desk, facing the door.

Sure enough, said door slammed open, revealing a very flustered and enraged pinkette. Tsuande calmly placed the papers in her hands on the surface of her desk then locked gazes with her student. The emerald green orbs held barely suppressed anger.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Sakura whispered harshly. Tsuande merely blinked her golden orbs in confusion. The pinkette snarled and threw the small white purse she had been clutching angrily in her left hand at the blonde. The older woman just leaned to the side, the purse sailing past her to hit the glass covered bookcase behind her. Before two seconds could pass, Sakura ripped out her hidden gun and fired right at Tsuande.

"I-asked-what-the-hell-you-were-thinking!" Each word was punctuated with two quick shots. The blonde woman calmly sidestepped and dodged each rapid bullet aimed for her head. Sakura rolled to the side, falling into a low crouch while continuing to fire her gun. Tsuande danced around the bullets to appear at the pinkette's side. Sakura screamed obesities at the older woman as her gun was snatched out of her left hand. The blonde threw the weapon to the side then had Sakura in a head lock with both hands gripped behind her back.

Sakura sputtered in outrage. Tsuande tightened her grip slightly and waited for the pinkette to calm down. They stayed in that position for about another five minutes before all fight left Sakura's body. The blonde woman cautiously let her student go, golden eyes troubled. Sakura had never before attacked her like that. Either she was _really_ angry or she had actually wanted to kill her teacher for real.

Not that the pink haired girl would ever succeed of course.

"You alright?" Tsuande softly asked the panting girl kneeling on the floor. Laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, the golden eyed teacher glanced around her study to inspect the damage.

It was probably a good thing Tenten had suggested that Tsuande replace everything in the room with bulletproof furniture. Otherwise, the study would be a mess of splintered wood and broken plaster. The bullets had hit the glass on the bookshelf beyond her cherry wood desk but bounced off, leaving only a slight dent. The wall on that side of the room would need to be repainted however, having taken the brunt of the unexpected attack. Stray plaster and bullet shells littered the carpet. Dust was heavy in the air by her desk.

Sakura took a deep breath. "I'm fine now Tsuande." Shrugging off the hand on her shoulder, she stood up and tried to smooth the white dress. A few stubborn wrinkles stayed visible.

"Why were you so angry?" The quiet question made Sakura blush in embarrassment. She nervously began plucking at random strings on her bodice.

"I uh-" She stopped when her voice squeaked. Tsuande raised a blonde eyebrow but didn't press her. Instead, the older woman started for the door of her study. Sakura felt a rush of gratitude for her mentor not asking.

"I seriously hope you didn't wake the others with your shooting." Tsuande lead the way out into the hall. Sakura chuckled, praying her friends had slept right through her "episode" as well.

The hallway was brightly lit with wall lamps positioned on both sides. The carpet was a light tan in color and blended into the darker shade painted on the walls. The ceiling had to be different by being white. Burgundy doors lined the hallway, some closed with others opened. The hall wasn't that long, only five doors on the same side as Tsuande's study and four on the opposite. A few pictures decorated the space between rooms. Sakura grinned as the two women walked past each picture – the study had been at the very end.

One picture was of Sakura glomping Hinata while Ino snickered hysterically in the background. Tenten was arguing with Tsuande to the right of the pinkette and dark haired girl. It had been taken inside their house right after moving in. Another had the four young girls with tears in their eyes on their first birthday spent with Tsuande as their teacher. Some others showed one girl hugging another while the others laughed behind them. Sakura relished those few happy memories she had gained in the house.

They reached the end of the hallway and turned left at the fork. The other side only lead to a series of dead ends and empty rooms. The corridor Sakura and Tsuande walked down was different from the first with dark brown walls and carpet and a white ceiling. This time there were only four doors, two on each side and placed in a zigzag. Those rooms belonged to the four girls. Tsuande's room happened to be back by her study.

At the end, they saw a staircase built into a wall that descended to the first floor. A red velvet rug followed the steps down. The railing curved gently, the wood polished and smooth. Huge fans hung from the ceiling, surrounding a chandelier that sparkled in the yellow light. Crystals glinted on the very edges. The end of the grand staircase stopped right by huge double front doors. The color scheme on the first floor clashed with the upper level– deep black carpet, dark green walls and a sort of silver painted ceiling. One narrow window ran above the width of the front doors, allowing moonlight to spill inside.

Sakura stopped by a closed burgundy door on the second floor nearest to the staircase. She turned to Tsuande and smiled. "Good night." The blonde teacher returned the gesture with a nod.

"I have a new mission for the four of you tomorrow."

The pinkette nodded then opened her bedroom door and stepped through, closing it softly behind her. She refused to dwell on any thoughts of her evening and immediately headed for her king sized bed. The light wasn't on but she didn't need it to navigate her way across the floor. Flopping down face first, Sakura slipped into dreamland quickly, an image of jade eyes stalking her the whole way.

\/\/\/\/\/\/

_She moaned with need as he dipped his head to her breast. Her fingers dug into his hair, back arching. More heat pooled between her thighs, making the dull ache throb._

_She gave his hair a sharp tug, bringing his mouth back to hers. Their tongues tangled desperately. She broke away only because of the necessity for oxygen. It was dark in the room but she didn't need it to know every feature of her lover's perfect face. He kissed her again, pressing her willing body deeper into the soft mattress._

_He trailed a hand down her side, tenderly stroking the skin. She hooked one leg around his waist in anticipation. His hardness and her core bumped together, drawing a moan and groan from their mouths. His hand continued its path to her only piece of clothing left – her panties. Kissing her harder, he dipped his fingers under the piece of clothing and softly rubbed her slick folds. The leg around his waist moved higher as one finger penetrated her. She panted heavily in his ear._

_More liquid rushed out of her when he added another finger. Her hips began moving against his hand, a coil tightening in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his neck and attached her mouth to the outside of his ear. He growled, slamming yet another inside her at the same time his thumb found her sensitive clit. She threw her head back at the sensations he was causing, the coil almost at breaking point._

_When he slowed down as she neared her coveted release, she glared up at him through heavy lidded eyes. He smirked and pressed down on her tiny bundle of nerves, causing her mouth to drop._

_"Say it." The sound of his deep voice sent shudders through her body. His voice had been the only one to ever affect her so much, a fact she had detested in the beginning. Now though she loved it. "Say it." He punctuated the end of his sentence by hooking his fingers inside her and pulling them out quickly. A scream tore out of her throat._

_After much difficulty, she managed to regain enough breath to hiss out two words. "I'm yours."_

_A smirk graced his handsome face. "Good girl." He purred and removed his hand from her panties. She frowned as he started placing butterfly kisses down her neck and across her breasts before sliding down further. Once she caught his eyes sparkling with mirth, she knew _exactly_ what he was planning._

_"N-no!" She squirmed under him but he held her down by her hips. Using his teeth, he pulled the soaked panties down her long pale legs. Cold air hit her heated sex, making her shiver. He shouldered his way between her thighs, one arm across her hips with the other hand pushing her legs slightly apart. She moaned, feeling his slow even breaths intimately._

_He glanced up at her from his position. Light from the moon outside shone in his jade eyes that were surrounded by deep black. "I'm never letting you go Sakura." She threw her head back, hands flying to his hair, when he kissed her between her legs. Her fingers tightened in his crimson locks with every long lick…_

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"…so you know your objective correct?" Tsuande's voice resounded in the silent room. She looked at each girl for a few minutes before they each nodded. Her golden eyes paused on the captain she had assigned for the mission that night. Sakura was sitting with her back straight, emerald eyes clear and focused intently on her. Yet the older woman couldn't help but wonder if her student really was alright.

Tearing her gaze away, the blonde pushed herself out of the cream armchair she had been sitting in for the past forty minutes. Tenten pulled Ino up off the floor and dragged the protesting blonde out the door of the room they had been discussing the mission. Tsuande watched as Sakura slowly stood up and walked over to the couch the dark haired Hyuuga girl was currently sitting on. The pinkette plopped beside her friend then fished out a crumpled napkin from a front pocket in her pants.

"Here." Sakura handed Hinata the napkin. "I saw this on the shirts of the band that was performing last night on my mission." Hinata smiled at the glare her violent pink haired friend shot at their teacher. Tsuande raised her hands in exasperation and walked out the door, shaking her blonde head.

"What do you want me to do?" Hinata asked quietly. She didn't know if Sakura wanted the others knowing about this. The pinkette might not be the official leader of their group but Ino, Tenten, and Hinata had all agreed that Sakura's orders were only under Tsuande's.

"Research it and inform me of your findings. Just don't tell anyone else yet."

The dark haired woman nodded and stuffed the napkin into her back pocket after standing up. Sakura made no move to follow so Hinata left without her. The pinkette sighed in relief when she was finally left alone.

Almost immediately images from her dream last night sprang forth. She groaned once again as she recognized just _who_ she had been dreaming about. Rage surged through her veins as the moans echoed in her mind.

Shaking her head to clear it of the annoying thoughts, the emerald eyed girl decided to join Tenten and Ino in the preparation for the mission that night. When she waltzed through the steel door to their training grounds built underneath the house, Ino latched onto her arm, tears glistening in the edges of her baby blue eyes. The blonde began to whine about something Tenten had done, making said girl roll her chocolate eyes, while pulling Sakura to a nearby wall. It was lined with cupboards filled with dozens of swords, rapiers, daggers, and spears. Next to them, bows of every shape and size decorated the space, each with its own quiver full of arrows.

Sakura yanked her arm out of her blonde friend's grip and headed toward the rapiers. Opening the glass doors, she exaimed the stock before finding her favorite pair. They were simple in design – silver wrought handle, curved point on each side of the hilt with a swirling pattern starting right above the hilt and flowing down the middle of the sharp blade on both sides. She picked up their sheaths – also simple with the black leather and silver buckle – and, ignoring her blue eyed friend, padded over to the opposite area of their huge training ground.

The room was about as big as the entire first floor. In the furthest corner from the steel door was the practice area for guns. Four targets were set up with manikins. Four small tables stood a good two hundred feet away with ear mufflers on each wooden surface. Opposite of that were the individualized training grounds. It was split in four, one for each girl. Hinata's had round archery targets placed ten feet apart. There were straw dummies strapped to a wooden poll in Ino's section with many of the same littering the ground in several small pieces. Tenten had set up a boxing bag in the middle of her part. Sakura had only dirt ground with some small round targets hidden along the edges.

The pinkette had just left the corner considered the 'weapons area.' Every weapon the four girls could ever want to practice with was stuffed in that space. Over time, this too was divided into four – bows for Hinata, cupboards filled with rapiers for Sakura, spears for Tenten, and long swords for Ino. Daggers were shared by everyone because they were small and could easily be hidden.

The opposite side the emerald eyed girl was headed towards housed all their battle gear and guns. Tsuande had insisted that they learn to use a second weapon in case their guns either didn't work or ran out of ammo. There were times the team of girls had been grateful for those forced lessons. The pinkette pulled out a drawer and shifted through the dark clothes packed neatly inside. Pulling out a set of black pants with a matching long sleeved shirt, she turned to the changing rooms right beside the steel door.

She heard some clacking sounds and glanced over her shoulder, smirking in amusement at the scene. Tenten was chasing Ino around with a chain dragging noisily on the titled floor. They were goofing around but at the same time serious. Shaking her head at her friends' antics, Sakura quickly changed into the dark clothing and strapped her rapiers to her back in an X, pulling her long pink tresses into a ponytail.

"Hey you two!" The pinkette called to her other teammates. They stopped, Tenten having finally caught Ino by wrapping the chain loosely around her neck, and looked at Sakura. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the changing rooms behind her. "Get changed. We need to head out soon."

Ino wiggled out of the loop and sprinted over to the cupboard with the long swords. Tenten dropped the linked metal with a disappointed frown on her face. The brown haired girl stuck her tongue out at Sakura and went to grab her own set of dark clothing.

Five minutes later saw all three in identical black clothing, stuffing daggers anywhere they could on themselves. Ino had just finished buckling her long sword over her shoulder when Hinata rushed in, out of breath. Tenten raised an eyebrow but shrugged. Sakura nodded at the open drawer of mission clothing. The dark haired girl pressed a piece of paper into the pinkette's hand on her way over, something that Tenten noticed out of the corner of her eye, then hurried about to catch up. Sakura stuffed the paper into her back pocket without looking at it.

After Hinata was ready – she had a bow on her back with a quiver full of arrows – the four were about to go through the guns when Tsuande's voice called them upstairs. Sakura shared a look with Tenten then herded the group out of the training ground. Only a single set of metal stairs went straight up. The door at the top was ajar and they hurried up the stairs to push it open. Tsuande greeted them then directed the four girls to the huge living room beyond another door, walking behind Ino. The girls sent each other confused glances as they walked into the room from the closet they had come up from downstairs.

The living room had been stuffed with couches, armchairs and bookcases, most of them lining the walls. Rugs covered almost every inch of the floor. A marble fireplace was built into one wall. Another chandelier like the one before the front doors hung from the ceiling. One lone coffee table was right in front of them, behind a couch facing the fireplace. A dozen or so shiny new black guns were littering the surface.

Tenten squealed in delight and immediately ran over, all but drooling over the brand new weapons. Sakura and Tsuande chuckled then went to join the excited brown haired girl. Ino and Hinata followed suit after sharing a giggle.

Sakura picked up a handheld gun near the edge of the table. She pointed it out in front of her, randomly shooting at a piece of furniture a couple of times. Satisfied, the pinkette grabbed another gun and repeated her actions. Tsuande whistled to get the girls' attention after a ten minute span of testing out the weapons. Hinata lowered her right arm, one of them already hidden inside her clothing somewhere. Tenten and Ino stopped fighting over who got the biggest gun on the table while Sakura twirled the two she had picked out on her index fingers.

"Since you've been doing so well these past months, especially dealing with all the missions and press-" As one, the girls groaned out loud at the mention of the annoying media. Tsuande continued on with a blonde eyebrow raised, "I have decided to give you all new guns for safety purposes." Before the golden eyed teacher could blink, she was pounced on by her four students. They squeezed her tight around the neck and kept muttering their gratitude into her front shirt. She eventually pushed them off so she could breathe without difficulty.

She waved in the direction of the front double doors, one arm holding her side. "Now get."

"But aren't you coming with us Tsuande-sama?" Hinata asked. Sakura and Tenten crossed their arms while Ino placed a hand on her hip.

"I have some business to take care of."

"Uh-huh…" Her students said in unison. A second of complete silence past then they all burst out laughing.

Sakura ushered her team out the door when Tsuande's eye began twitching. Turning back one last time, the pinkette raised a delicate eyebrow.

"This is new." She commented. The blonde teacher only smiled in reply. Shaking her head, the pink haired girl hurried after her friends.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Dammit!" Tenten cursed under her breath. Ino slapped a hand over her mouth, shivering in the cold wind along with the others. Hinata looked at Sakura.

"What now?" The dark haired girl asked. The pinkette put a finger to her lips then peaked beyond the edge of the crumbling wall they were hiding behind. Two guards stood by the entrance of the gated fence. Another four patrolled along the sides. Curling barbwire stuck up on the top. Sakura grimaced in annoyance.

"Oh it just _had_ to be this kind of mission…"

Dropping back down, she sighed. "There are two guards by the entrance, another four patrolling the area along it and there is barbwire on top." Ino let out a low whine. Tenten pushed the blonde's hand off her mouth and glared up at the darkening sky.

"Great. Just fucking great." The brunette grumbled under her breath, echoing what the rest of her friends were thinking.

Ino spoke up three minutes after silence claimed the cold group. "Why can't we just do the usual and blast our way inside?"

Tenten shot the blonde a death glare but Hinata quietly cut off whatever the brown haired girl was about to say. "If we do that, it will alert the guards inside the mansion. Our mission will become complicated if the foreign minister is aware of our presence." As always, the Hyuuga silenced any more arguments from the weapon's mistress and the blonde with cold, hard logic. Sakura rubbed a tired hand across her face.

"Why can't we use our secondary weapons and take them out before they get the chance to alert anyone inside?" The question came from Tenten. Hinata nodded, pale white eyes thoughtful.

"Ino can take the two on the right while Tenten handles the two on the left. Sakura can finish the two at the gate and I'll shoot any in the tower just beyond the entrance to the fence." She muttered as her two index fingers tapped together. The other three gave their agreements – Hinata was a brilliant strategist when in the mission field.

Sakura peered over the edge once more to double check where the patrolling guards were. Nodding once, the four girls shot into the shadows just beyond the light surrounding the fence. The two guards at the gate only heard some gurgling before death claimed them. Sakura looked up to see Ino and Tenten running to meet up with her and the Hyuuga. Hinata kept her pale eyes trained on the dark tower, arrow knocked in her gold and silver long bow. A few blood drops had splashed onto the three other girls' clothes. Tenten twirled the black metal spear in her right hand to hold it behind her with the point facing down. Ino wiped the red liquid off her three foot silver blade before sheathing it. Sakura also cleaned her rapiers then replaced them on her back.

"Let's go." The pinkette whispered. Hinata threw her bow on her back after seeing no movement for the past five minutes in the tower. As one the four trained girls took two steps back before sailing over the five foot barb wired fence. The soft thud of their padded boots echoed in the courtyard.

Tenten grinned. "Oh that was one good thing about the training – being able to jump high." Stretching her legs, she made sure the twin buns on her head were still in place. Ino shook the long piece of blonde hair out of her right eye while Hinata threw her long braid back over her shoulder. Sakura scanned the quiet courtyard, senses on high alert. An uneasy feeling spread in her gut.

Something wasn't right.

"It's too quiet." Hinata softly said from beside the pinkette. Sakura glanced at the dark haired Hyuuga, tilting her head to the side. Tenten retracted her spear, stuffed it into a hidden pocket and pulled out a gun. The others did the same.

A lone fountain in the middle of the courtyard spilled sparkling water from the mouth of a fish into the rounded basin below. It was situated five feet before a set of double front doors, the cement path curving around the fountain. Short green grass sprouted alongside the edges of the walkway. A flickering lamp from the white painted front porch illuminated the ground with a gentle yellow glow. Windows on either side of the doors were dark.

Sakura lead the group to one side of the mansion, out of the light. She handed Ino and Hinata an extra gun each. "Just in case. Tenten will help me infiltrate the house. You two will cover our back." The pinkette gave the brown haired assassin a nod then pulled the Hyuuga and blonde into a tight hug. "Be careful." She whispered.

Tenten's low whistle broke the group up. Giving the two girls a smile, the pinkette followed after her friend. Ino raised an eyebrow at Hinata, to which she shrugged, then went to stand by the edge of the wall Sakura had lead them behind earlier. The Hyuuga took up position by the broken window.

Inside the darken room they had just climbed through, Tenten raised both eyebrows then waved one hand above her head. It meant what now. Sakura shook her head and put one finger by her left eye. Nodding at the pinkette's answer of follow me, the weapon's mistress whistled low twice. It was their signal of successfully breaking in. Sakura tip-toed to the slightly opened door of the room they were hiding in and placed one ear on the wood. Hearing nothing except a click and a thud, she slipped out with Tenten right on her heels.

They had come in on the second floor it seemed. Sakura guessed the first must have been built into the ground. She knew from what Tsuande had told them that the minister was sleeping on the third. Rooms lined the wall on both sides of the two girls. A railing stood in front of them, giving them a view of three floors identical to the one they were currently on. This was one of the mansions that had one big room with a single grand staircase leading to the second and third floors and the doors facing the squared middle. It reminded Sakura of a huge hotel.

The assassins kept their senses on high alert and treaded quietly to the staircase on the opposite side of the double front doors. Upon reaching it, Sakura pulled out a gun as her friend whipped out two small ones. Slowly ascending the stairs, Sakura kept her gun pointed before her. She suddenly stopped when the sound of a crash reached her ears. Sharing a quick look with Tenten, they sprinted the rest of the way up and ran toward the noise. More crashes pierced the still air inside the mansion. The loud noises were coming from a dark room whose door had been ripped off. Sakura raced inside, gun aimed at the black figure crouching on a desk nearby a shattered window. Moonlight seeped through the few remaining glass shards.

Never taking her emerald eyes off the intruder, Sakura quietly instructed Tenten to continue the mission without her. After an assurance that the brown haired girl would be back to help, Tenten departed. The pinkette shifted to cover her friend when the dark figure straightened. A gut feeling told her to duck suddenly. Obeying, she rolled to the ride and fired at the other occupant in the room. She knew it had to be another assassin from the smooth movements and quick reaction time. She kept him distracted by shooting randomly while expertly dodging returning bullets. Her gun clicked after a short amount of time, making Sakura curse. The gun was out of ammo and she had left her backup ones with Ino and Hinata.

Throwing the useless weapon aside, the pinkette ripped out her silver rapiers. Flipping them so she was holding them backwards in her hands, she flew at the unknown assassin keeping to the shadows of the room. A surprised grunt came from him as he blocked the attack with his own gun. Jumping back, her eyes narrowed when she heard a familiar ring of metal being released from its sheath. Pale moonlight glinted off two swords held loosely by the intruder's sides. Grinning, she once again flew at him.

Another sword user. This was going to be fun for her.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Hinata fidgeted nervously. It shouldn't have taken Sakura and Tenten this long to complete the mission. They were the best she knew of, having worked together for eleven years. Tenten had explained that since they had been roommates, the academy had forced them to partner. Eventually, their team of two became known as the deadliest combo within the school. Truthfully, she didn't know why she was in the team. She wasn't anything special, only average at best. Though when she holds a gun in her hands, everything suddenly becomes focused and clear. It was the same way with her bow.

"Hey." The quiet word startled the dark haired girl. She pointed her gun plus the one Sakura had given her at the speaker. Ino's blue eyes were wide and she had both her hands up in a surrender position.

"Don't," Hinata whispered with a grimace, "scare me like that."

The blonde lowered her arms as Hinata's did with the guns. "I'm sorry but I was worried."

Hinata glanced at the broken window beside her. "So am I. They should've been done by now." Ino nodded, folding her arms under her rather large chest.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Hyuuga leaned back against the stone wall of the mansion. She was about to say something when sounds of rapid gunfire filled the night air. The two girls pressed their backs against the stones and slowly moved toward the corner to check for any unwanted personal. Their guns were lifted by their heads. As they neared the lighted courtyard, the sounds of talking reached their ears.

"Dammit Neji!" The loud curse made Hinata want to giggle for some reason. "I thought I told you _I _wanted to go inside!"

A long sigh followed the angry sentence. "I'm sorry Naruto. I hadn't realized you actually _wanted_ to do this mission in the first place." The two females could almost see the sarcasm dripping from whoever had spoken. Some shuffling noises came later then a thud. More angry cursing caused Hinata and Ino to laugh. Immediately slapping a hand over their mouths in horror, they listened as all went quiet beyond the edge of the wall.

Nodding grimly at each other, the two girls rolled out behind the wall with their guns pointed in front of them. Their eyes widened at the three gorgeous men who had copied their movement. Hinata's hand began to tremble. Oh how she wished Sakura, or even Tenten, were here. They would know what to do now.

The five stayed in the same position, all eyeing the opponent warily. The female Hyuuga looked at each of the males closely.

The one that was kneeling on one knee facing her had long black hair tied in a low ponytail resting on his shoulder. His pale white eyes, so similar to hers, were narrowed. The clothing he wore matched what the girls were wearing yet he had a small shiny metal rod dangling from his right hip. The man standing next to the first had his dark hair in a high ponytail, giving his head the look of a pineapple. Only one gun was pointing at Hinata and Ino, unlike the two from the long haired male. A bowstring and the strap of a quiver were over his shoulder. Again, black assassin clothes adored his lean body. Yet it was the third male that captured Hinata's attention completely. The wild blonde hair and shining sky blue eyes gave him the look of an innocent child. He had a weapon aimed at Ino's head but his finger wasn't even on the trigger. She noticed that the blonde man had a single stone hanging from a necklace. One short sword was strapped around his waist.

When her eyes suddenly met sky blue, a blush spread across her cheeks. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. The blonde man sighed then lowered his weapon and stood up. He tapped the shoulder of the long haired male first then nodded at the pineapple head.

"Come on Neji and Shikamaru. I don't think they're here to kill us." Hinata's mouth dropped in shock. She heard Ino's sharp intake of breath. The long haired male didn't budge, guns still aimed at Hinata's head. She kept hers pointed at him as well.

"Neji!" The angry outburst broke whatever was holding him down and the pale eyed man jumped to his feet. Glaring at the others, he stalked off.

Hinata breathed out a sigh of relief, cautiously standing up as well. That had been intense and a little weird. The dark haired Hyuuga didn't hide her guns, her training kicking in to always have a weapon ready in a potentially dangerous situation.

The blonde male smiled brightly and pointed at himself. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and this is Shikamaru Nara." He jerked a thumb at the pineapple head, who shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "And the one that stomped off was Neji Hyuuga." Ino raised a blonde eyebrow at Hinata. They shared the same last name…

Naruto bounced over to Hinata. "So, who are you?" The dark haired girl blushed harder at his bright grin aimed in her direction.

"M-my name i-is Hinata H-hyuuga." The stutter from when she was young came back full force. Hinata covered her face with her hands in despair. She thought she had finally gotten over that! And now she was terribly embarrassed for stuttering in front of the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. Even his smile was beautiful…

"And my name is Ino Yamamaka." Ino's voice cut through Hinata's mental bashing of herself. "So Shikamaru…" Hinata knew that her blonde friend had already latched onto the Nara. She was insanely glad it wasn't Naruto – he was hers.

"Eeeeeep!" She squeaked from the combination of her recent thought and a pinch to her side. Dropping her hands, Hinata watched as Naruto's sky blue eyes glinted with mischief. Her blush went even redder if possible. Her heart began hammering, butterflies filling her stomach.

She was in trouble…

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura grunted with effort. The intruder she had stumbled upon was proving to be quite the opponent. Adrenaline poured through her veins – it had been such a long time since she had found someone on par with her skills. Even her friends weren't as good as her.

Flipping off one of the assassin's swords, the pinkette twisted behind him and slashed at his unprotected back. The unknown figure shifted to the side at the last minute, catching the sharp edge on his black clothing. Pale skin was revealed to her emerald gaze. A tiny cut seeped a few drops of crimson blood.

They had danced in a circle around each other, never straying beyond to the shattered window across the doorway. The moonlight only gave enough to barely see, not enough to discern exactly what her attacker looked like. Instead, she had caught flashes of crimson and jade, making her heart skip a beat every time she saw either color. In a way, the unknown assassin reminded her of that lead singer whose voice had affected her so much.

And no matter how many times the pinkette denied the connection, her inner would whisper the truth relentlessly.

She snarled suddenly, pain blooming on her upper arm. A sword had gotten past her defense while her mind had been occupied comparing the two, cutting the material and skin. Blood slowly dripped down her right arm. Sweat clung to her forehead, making the pink bangs stick to her skin.

"Hey!" The shout stilled both sword fighters. In the doorway was Tenten with some blood spattered across her shirt, her spear angled in front of her (point down) with a scowl on her face. Sakura grinned – her being here meant the mission was complete.

Nodding at the bun wearing spear user, the pinkette used the momentary distraction to swipe a sword from her opponent after sheathing her rapiers before racing to the shattered window. She heard the clang of Tenten's spear against metal right before jumping out the window. The air rushed past her ears, giving her the feeling of flying. The ground drew closer and Sakura used the wall to push off into a roll that jarred her back. Panting, the pinkette saw her best friend follow her outside. Once Tenten was safely on the ground, wincing from the stinging of the impact, the pinkette watched the window while gripping the stolen sword tighter.

A blur of black flew out of the room and landed in the shadow caused by the mansion, facing them. Tenten didn't waste a second as she charged the unknown intruder. He was able to block with the remaining sword. Sakura waltzed in after Tenten back flipped off his shoulders. Angry snarls erupted into the night as the spear user landed. Tenten and Sakura shared a wide grin.

They continued fighting, all panting for breath by now. Tenten had her spear embedded in the ground with Sakura about ready to swing around it with one hand when yelling reached their ears. Pounding footsteps echoed after. The two girls looked at each other, understanding passing in their eyes.

That had to be Hinata and Ino. Help had arrived.

They just didn't expect three others to come running with rest of their team as well.

The three assassins under the window stopped and looked in shock at the group hurrying in their direction. Sakura recognized the males from her mission the night before. The blonde guitarist was running slightly in front of Hinata, arm at a ninety degree angle so the gun aimed at the night sky. The long haired drummer was beside the pineapple head, both with guns in their hands pointing at the ground. Ino had a worried expression on her face behind the two dark haired men. The pinkette's jaw went slack at the tomato red blush on Hinata's face.

"Sakura! Tenten!" At their friends' shouts, the two women stepped away from the other assassin. When the group of five reached the three, Ino and Hinata immediately pounced on Tenten and Sakura. Out of the corner of an emerald orb, the pinkette saw the boys crowd around the one she had been fighting earlier.

"Gaara!" One whined loudly. A loud smack was heard then a few curses.

Sakura pushed her friends off. "I'm fine guys." Turning, she faced the other group.

The one she had fought with was still in shadow. She stepped closer, ears peaked for any snatches of conversation.

"It's alright Neji." A deep voice drifted through the night air. The pink haired leader froze, stomach knotting in dread.

_Oh no. Oh please no._

The three men parted to let the crimson haired singer from her mission pass into the moonlight. His jade eyes zeroed in on her and narrowed.

_Oh fuck… _

The pinkette pointed an accusing finger at him as he crossed his arms over his muscled chest. They both hissed one word.

_"You!"_

\/\/\/\/\/

Uh, what can I say? – shrugs– I love cliffhangers.

Please tell me if my writing is boring or if I'm repeating myself. I have a feeling that's what happened within this chapter…

Anyways! How do you like it so far? Interesting? Boring? No-way-in-heck-I'll-ever-read-this-again? Either way let me know!

Lightning Mistress


	3. Chapter 2

I am soooooo sorry for taking for~ever to update this. Writer's block is my only excuse, though that's not a very good one...

I really don't mean to have OOCness here. But some things just work better with the way I have the plot developed. Anyways, if anyone spots too much OOCness, then please tell me. It would be much appreciated.

Please read and review!

Disclaimer – I _do not_ own Naruto or the characters in any way. Gaara would have been branded mine long ago if I did.

**Hell's Wings** – Musicians by day, assassins by night. When two rival bands clash, sparks ignite and tensions fly. Au, modern day.

**Chapter Two**

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The air seemed thick with tension as Sakura glared at the crimson haired male in front of her. A few emotions vaguely reflected in his jade orbs; anger, surprise, resentment and… Was that amusement?!

The pinkette growled, folding her arms under her chest. Putting two and two together (and still coming up with five), Sakura couldn't for the life of her figure out why _he_ was here of all places. Her team had been on a mission, a mission that Tenten had to complete by herself because of his inconvenient interruption. There were only two explanations she could see that fit his reasons for being there tonight.

One – he had been hired for protection. Usually the target never got wind of any assassinations coming so she immediately threw that one out the window.

Two – he was also an assassin. With what team and why were what troubled her the most.

"Sakura…" Hinata's quiet mummer broke her concentration. Her emerald eyes shifted to the side, not quite letting the redhead out of her sight. Hinata was nervously pressing her index fingers together, pale orbs flickering from the boys to her. "Are they like us?"

The question threw Sakura for a loop for a moment. She had just been thinking the same thing of the redhead and now the dark haired girl was including the other three boys as well. Her eyes flashed back to them, quickly analyzing them with her brows furrowed.

The jade eyed male she had a bone to pick with was in the fore front. The blonde boy was bouncing between his feet behind his left shoulder while the one with pale eyes so similar to Hinata's stood at the right. Mr. Pineapple Head – really, what else _would_ you call his hair do? – was off in the back, yawning hugely.

"I don't know…" She muttered under her breath. Every instinct bred in her screamed for movement. Whether it was throttling the young man in front of her, yelling at her two teammates that had come with the other boys, or whipping out her rapiers and swiftly killing the other group, she needed to do _something_.

And speaking of weapons…

Her hand clenched around the handle of the sword she had swiped earlier. It was actually a fine piece of work, the sword similar to hers in a way. The blade was pure black, the hilt silver, with gold winding around the handle. She flipped it between her hands expertly, testing the weight and balance. Now it all made sense to her.

Her rapiers were about the same weight but this sword had a better balance ratio. Whoever had crafted this was truly a master. Tenten would probably be very curious about the blacksmith besting her own creations.

"I hate uncomfortable silences. Don't you agree Shikamaru?" Ino's voice sounded slightly amused. Sakura rotated her neck to glance at her blonde friend flicking her long ponytail over her shoulder with a bored expression. No answer broke the already tense atmosphere as the pinkette embedded the sword into the ground beside her.

"Ino, do you know these boys?" Sakura saw the redhead and the pale eyed one grimace at her choice of words. Her inner was doing a mental dance inside her head from their visible discomfort. She heard some shuffling of feet and glanced behind. Ino looked a little sheepish and Hinata had a nervous expression, fingers still pressing together. _"Well?" _The pinkette growled, impatient at the lack of answers.

Hinata let out a tiny surprised squeak but it was Ino who provided the information. The blonde nodded before raising a hand when she saw Sakura's eye twitch. "Please hear me out. We had just stumbled upon the three that came running with us only a few minutes before we heard a loud noise in this area. They seem to be trained like us."

This did little to calm Sakura's rapidly growing anger. Turning back, she crossed her arms and eyed each of the males. "I don't see why we shouldn't just gut you all right now."

"Because you wouldn't succeed even if you tried." The redhead deadpanned. She believed every word against her will. Her inner chuckled.

_'Finally met your match dear Sakura?' _She snickered. Sakura's eye twitched in annoyance. Why did she have to have such a meddling inner self anyway?

"So you think you're better than me is that it?" Sakura didn't know why it went from her team being weaker than his to her being weaker than him. _Infuriating man!_ She seethed silently.

He raised a thin eyebrow. "Do I even need to answer that?" It was a rhetorical question. Nevertheless, Sakura ripped his sword out of the ground and flung it at him. He merely caught it in one hand, twirling it around and bringing out the other one. The pinkette ripped her rapiers out and, without warning, lunged at him with a murderous expression. The redhead's jade eyes widen a fraction before narrowing as he side-stepped her attack. Letting out a snarl and some choice words, she flipped backwards before flying at him again.

The more he dodged her attacks, the brighter her rage burned. "Would" stab, twirl "You" swing, block, slash "Just" jump, kick "Fucking" dodge, lunge "Hold" duck, slash, roll _"Still?!" _Sakura hissed while never letting up the onslaught. Her opponent simply continued to aggravate her by evading. He was making it very difficult for her to stab him and appease her anger.

Her breaths came out in short bursts. She could feel exhaustion creeping inside her bones. Fighting this guy twice in one night with only a five minute break had finally caught up to her. She reluctantly admitted to herself that the redhead was definitely a worthy opponent.

Buuut…

She had to win this.

If not for the sake of proving something to him (which she didn't understand why), then it was for her own pride (how could she face her team after this?). The concept of losing steeled her resolve.

Sweat slowly trickled down the back of her neck. She noticed he wasn't even breathing hard yet. He had only taken a couple of steps to dodge her thrusts while she had been dancing all around him, trying, without much success, to plunge her rapiers in him. Sakura briefly wondered if he was purposing annoying her. His face was blank, eyes showing no emotions, so she couldn't be sure.

It suddenly occurred to her as she was flung back from his blow that she was being idiotic. This was the first time she had ever been influenced so strongly by someone since she had fled from the Academy. After escaping that hellhole, the pinkette had sworn to herself to never let another human being have that much control over her life again.

She wasn't weak anymore.

Sakura dug her rapiers into the grass and dirt to slow her momentum as she slid across the ground. Her arms began to tremble from the force before her body finally halted. Panting heavily, she cursed the redhead inside her head. Her emerald orbs traced his handsome face for any sign of weariness. Her heart gave a sharp thud when a single drop of moisture followed the curve of his slender neck.

She swallowed the unexpected impulse to have her tongue mimic the path. What was this man doing to her?

\/\/\/\/\/\/

The rest of the redhead's team had moved out of the way, not wanting to be caught in the cross-fire.

Ino sashayed over to where Shikamaru was leaning against a wall and started rambling on while he yawned and didn't even turn to look at her. Naruto's sky blue eyes lit up as Hinata slowly walked in his direction with a tomato red face. He met her halfway, grinning widely. She blushed redder but tried to follow his sentences and answer without too much stuttering on her part. Tenten eyed the only one left, chocolate eyes wary. He seemed content to just watch the battle between the redhead and the pinkette.

"She's going to lose…" It was a quiet mummer but her trained ears caught it. Sudden anger filled her at his statement. Without conscious thought, Tenten marched over to him and landed a kick to his side. His ever watchful eyes caught the movement a little too late though his body automatically twisted away from the incoming object.

"Don't you ever insult Sakura's skill with her rapiers." The brown haired girl hissed through clenched teeth.

"Hn," was his annoying answer. Tenten jerked a small metal rod out and pressed a tiny button on the bottom. It extended out to its full length of six feet and she swung it at Neji. He ducked, gun flying to the side. Drawing the short sword on his back, the black haired male blocked her next swing.

He didn't know why the girl was attacking him. Defending himself against her advance was proving to be quite the task. She was actually very talented with her metal spear it seemed.

A sudden flash of metal caught Hinata's eye. She saw her brown haired friend circling the one with pale so like her own. The dark haired girl hoped Tenten wouldn't murder the poor guy, but judging from the way he was expertly parrying the blows, he seemed to be able to handle himself.

"Neji defending? That's interesting…" Naruto's voice startled Hinata, making her squeak in surprise. She saw Sakura still going at it with the redhead beyond Tenten's fight.

"N-neji?" She questioned. The blonde nodded.

"They seem to like each other."

She couldn't help the quiet snort from slipping out. Just where the hell did that conclusion come from?

"I do have to agree with you there Naruto."

Hinata shrieked, whirling around and pointing her gun at a silver haired man. A mask covered the lower half of his face and a jagged scar ran vertically down his left eye. He was dressed entirely in black, just like everyone else who was there tonight.

"Easy Hinata. It's just Kakashi." Naruto stepped in front of the newcomer, gently placing a hand on her gun and lowering it. She took a deep breath, heart thundering inside her chest. More and more people kept on showing up and quite frankly she was getting a little terrified. This had never happened before.

If their identies were exposed, she and the rest of her friends would be hunted.

Naruto turned inquiring sky blue eyes on the silver haired man. Kakashi was perched atop a crumbled piece of stone from the house. Or at least Hinata thought it was from the house. Crinkles appeared at the corners of Kakashi's eyes in amusement.

"It also seems like your pink haired friend likes Gaara."

Hinata and Naruto shared a bewildered look. If liking someone meant trying to tear them to itty bitty pieces then yeah, he was right.

"D-don't you t-think we sh-should stop t-them?" Hinata asked, index fingers once again tapping together nervously. The blonde boy glanced at the two ongoing fights while Kakashi pulled out a small orange book, seemingly uninterested. Naruto frowned for a moment then frantically waved at Shikamaru. Ino followed the lazy dark haired boy, still spouting random things as he joined the other three.

Before Naruto could say anything to Shikamaru however, Kakashi disappeared in a blur and showed up behind the redhead. The silver haired man placed a hand on the younger's shoulder with his nose still buried in the orange book. Gaara gave him a glare as he sheathed his weapons, halting the pinkette in her next attack. She watched with disbelief written across her face as they walked away.

Panting, she tightened her hold on her rapiers. Her eyes swept the area in front of her and landed on Tenten's fight. It looked like the two were evenly matched. Sakura debated helping her – if only to forget about her own interrupted fight.

The decision was taken from her when another person appeared. The pinkette gasped quietly when she saw her team's leader laid a hand on Tenten's spear. Tenten looked up at Tsuande with her mouth already open but snapped it closed when the honey eyed woman glared at her. The weapon's mistress nodded reluctantly, stepping back and pressing the button on the bottom of her spear. The metal made a zinging sound as it retracted back to its smaller size of six inches. The brown haired girl returned the weapon to its hidden pocket.

Tsuande looked at Sakura and raised both eyebrows. Not liking the choice, the pinkette sheathed her rapiers before dusting herself off and walking over to her mentor. The older woman nodded then joined the group with both Sakura and Tenten. Sakura eyed Gaara with distaste.

"I assuming you all have questions." Tsuande addressed the whole group while Kakashi closed his beloved orange book, slipping it into his back pocket. Nods mostly came from the females. "And yes, before any of you ask, you are the same."

"What?" Sakura burst out angrily. "You mean you've kept the knowledge that there are others like us out there from us?"

"Like it would have helped you any." The redhead spoke up. Sakura turned blazing green eyes on him.

She held up her thumb and index so there was only a very tiny space between them. "You are this close mister." Gaara smirked, unfazed by her threat.

"Sakura," Tsuande warned. The pinkette growled and turned her head away. The honey eyed leader continued on. "You all might want to be a little nicer to each other."

Tenten stood up. "Why?"

"Because you will be working closely from now on." Kakashi stepped off the crumbling piece of stone, hands stuffed into pockets. Eight pairs of eyes followed him as he went to stand by Tsunade. Tilting his head, he eyed all the youngsters.

Sakura pointed at the male she had fought with earlier. "Give me one good reason why I should." Tenten gestured to the one with pale eyes.

Tsuande glared at her students. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just ship you back." Both of the angry girls swallowed. The Academy had been harsh, and an experience either wanted to relive again. Once the two settled down, grumbling to themselves, Tsuande addressed the whole group. "I will be keeping in contact with Kakashi. Missions in upcoming future will be completed by the eight of you. No arguments." She held up a hand to stop whatever would be coming out of Sakura and Tenten's mouth.

Kakashi's eyes crinkled. "They all seem to like one another." Protests sprung up from four of the people in front of him. Tsuande shook her head.

"Yeah, sure. Now I need some sake to clear this headache." Kakashi chuckled.

The noise died out pretty quickly as the two leaders separated. Hinata and Ino waved goodbye to the boys before hurrying to catch up with Tsuande. Tenten glared at Neji then walked off as well. Sakura turned to the redhead.

"This isn't over panda." She felt very smug at her new nickname for the redhead. Well, he had black around his eyes. Gaara crossed his arms with a frown.

"Likewise forehead." He smirked when her mouth dropped open. She gritted her teeth and whirled around. One more second and she would've smashed his face in. Just because her forehead was big didn't mean he had to draw attention to it. Even though Ino usually called her billboard brow, the nickname hadn't sounded so…condescending.

_Argh! That _panda_ is driving me nuts!_ The pinkette fumed.

Gaara had watched the pink haired female march away. No one had ever dared to call him panda before. Way wasn't she scared of him? He knew even his teammates held a sliver of fear regarding him.

_I will make her coward in fear._

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Finished! Finally!

Don't worry everyone! I've already started the third chapter so hopefully it won't take _nearly_ as long to update.

I just also wanted to thank all the people who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. All your names will be put on the next chapter at the end. I really appreciate all the love this fic is getting!

Lightning Mistress


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